I recently spent a week dodging cars and mopeds during my morning runs through Tiranë, Albania.
The city is filled with incredibly kind and welcoming people, so I was surprised to learn (or constantly hear) that a car horn seems to be attached to their body almost like a fifth limb.
Light goes green? Beep!
See someone you know? Beep!
Car driving the speed limit in front of you? Well, you know the pattern by now.
In a country where looking both ways before you cross will still almost kill you, I started to see so many similarities to life.
Here are four life lessons I learnt from my time traversing Albanian roads.
1. Perfect timing is a myth
There is never a perfectly ‘safe’ time to cross the road in Albania. Just like there is never a perfect time to do that thing you’ve always wanted to do in life.
Oh, you’re in front of a pedestrian crossing with a luminous green man signalling now is the perfect time to go? Well you’re still going to have someone flying around the corner and blasting your head off with their horn if you don’t get across quick enough.
We so often think there will be a perfect time to do something that we constantly put it off until the stars align.
There won’t be.
Just start now and know you’re still going to roll your ankle on the half finished pothole repair. That’s life after all.
“The best time to start was yesterday. The next best time is now.”
Unknown
2. Own your path and cross with authority
You know what the number one thing that will keep you safe on Albanian roads is? Authority.
When you’re timid and second guessing yourself when crossing they’re just going to get pissed off and speed in front of you.
If you walk with purpose and act like you’ve grown up on those streets, even though you know that any second your feet could be above your head, they’ll actually start to respect you.
The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve realised most people don’t have a clue what they’re doing, in life and at work. The ones that seem to succeed are those who simply believe they can and put in the necessary work to get there.
Having confidence in your abilities, whether it’s crossing a dangerous road in Albania or taking an interview for a job that seems slightly out of your grasp, is the way to move forward. Making people think you can do something can sometimes be the motivator that you need to actually do it.
3. Take lessons from people who have crossed before you
When the road rules are thrown out the window, there’s only one other way to ensure your safety. Do it like the locals.
There is so much to learn from watching people who are succeeding on the path we’re dreaming of taking. Watching how they do it can help us overcome that initial barrier of starting when everything seems so new and foreign to us.
Sure there will be times when you’re crossing the road alone or run into something you haven’t seen before.
But that’s where the real growth happens. That’s when you can jaywalk on your own and not wait for the crowd.
Those are the people who are remembered.
4. Don’t be a coffee shop starer
How many of us are watching people achieve their dreams on social media? Sometimes it feels like we are extras in someone else’s movie.
Like the guy in the coffee shop staring and laughing at people trying to dodge traffic as they explore the city.
I love sitting in and having a beautifully brewed coffee as much as the next guy. But I think I want to be the one dodging traffic and taking risks now.
Because when you’re dodging traffic it means you’re going somewhere. It means you’re taking on new challenges and improving, even if it looks funny to other people.
I don’t want to be sitting on the sidelines. I want to be out there, acting like I know what I’m doing, making mistakes and learning along the way.
Which road will you traverse?
Ultimately, crossing the roads in Albania mirrors the art of fearless living.
To be cautious without overthinking things too much. To take the time to learn from others whilst forging your own unique path. To take that leap even with the constant fear of uncertainty.
So, are you watching other people cross without fear whilst you sit back and wait for the perfect opportunity?
Maybe it’s your turn.
I know it’s mine.
